Art of Aging: Kitchen of Love

A woman from Philadelphia's Mount Airy section has dedicated her life to feeding her neighbors in need.

Every week, the line at Marlene Trice's Kitchen of Love stretches down the block.

She is the Founder & CEO of Kitchen of Love.

"We turn no one away. I feel as though if you come out there in the line five or six in the morning you need it," said Marlene.

Everybody will have something on their table come Thanksgiving.

"Rain, snow, hail, we're still out there giving out food. People still has to eat," added Marlene.

Marlene started Kitchen of Love in 1996. She was inspired by her father who used to hand out baskets of food to the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"And I always told him, when I get big I'm going to do the same thing as you're doing," said Marlene.

At age 70, she does that and more, serving as many as 700 people every week.

Marlene says, "They are grandparents taking care of grandchildren. And a lot of them are seniors. The seniors don't know whether or not to buy medicine or get something to eat."

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, Marlene personally prepares a pre-holiday feast for hundreds of people who have no place else to go.

"I'm not a young spring chicken like I used to be. So it's a little hard. Arthur bothers me sometime. But I try to kick Arthur and tell him to get out the way," said Marlene.

Kitchen of Love partners with Philabundance and gets donations from Whole Foods, Fresh Grocer, and Target.

This is one of our bags already made.

The pantry is run by a small army of volunteers who pitch in two mornings a week.

Carlton Addison said, "I originally started here as one of the clients. I just decided to start giving back."

And, in many cases, it is seniors helping seniors.

Willie Allen is a volunteer.

"I just come to have fun. I'm retired, so this is something that gives me an outlet instead of just sitting in the house," said Willie.

Everybody is going to be blessed with something.

For Marlene Trice, helping your neighbors in need is what life is all about.

"It makes me feel good. It really does," she said.

For more programs about seniors, visit our Art of Aging section.